MS ''Albatros'' was a ''Royal Viking Star''-class

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours k ...

, operated by the

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

-based travel agency Phoenix Reisen until 2020 when she was taken out of service, and scrapped in 2021. Royal Viking Sea Southampton 1986

History

She was built in 1973 by

Wärtsilä Wärtsilä Oyj Abp (), trading internationally as Wärtsilä Corporation, is a Finnish corporation, Finnish company which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the Marine propulsion, marine and energy markets. The core ...

Helsinki Shipyard,

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

for

Royal Viking Line The Royal Viking Line was a luxury cruise line that operated from 1972 until 1998. The company was the brainchild of Warren Titus and had its headquarters at One Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, California. History The First Ships Each ...

as ''Royal Viking Sea'', and has also sailed under the names ''Royal Odyssey'' for

Royal Cruise Line Royal Cruise Line was a Greek cruise line that operated from 1974 to 1996 and founded by Pericles Panagopoulos, Pericles Panagopulos. The line catered mainly to American passengers looking for an upscale cruise experience and sailed mainly worldwi ...

, ''Norwegian Star'' for

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is an American cruise line founded in Norway in 1966, headquartered in Miami, Florida, and incorporated in the Bahamas. It is the List of cruise lines, fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling ...

and Norwegian Capricorn Line, and ''Crown''. She was the second ''Albatros'' for Phoenix Reisen as she was the replacement of the original . ''Albatros'' was also known for her -esque

funnel A funnel is a tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for guiding liquid or powder into a small opening. Funnels are usually made of stainless steel, aluminium, glass, or plastic. The material used in its constructi ...

. In October 2020 ''Albatros'' was sold as a hotel vessel for the Pick Albatros Group in the Middle East, which operates some 15 hotels and resorts in

Hurghada Hurghada (; ', ) is a coastal city that serves as the largest city and capital of the Red Sea Governorate of Egypt. Hurghada has grown from a small fishing village to one of the largest resort destinations along the Red Sea coast, stretching c ...

region. However, the project was never initiated, and the ship stayed at Hurghada until sold in 2021 for scrap, after a stop in

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

. She was beached in

Alang Alang is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Because it is home to the Alang Ship Breaking Yard, Alang beaches are considered the world's largest ship graveyard. Demographics As of the 2001 Indian census, Al ...

, India, on 27 July 2021. Scrapping on ''Albatros'' started on 17 November 2021. According to the NGO Robin des Bois, the Hotel Ship project was a trick to export the ship from Germany to India for scrapping.

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

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Phoenix Reisen company website
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Homepage of the TV-series ''Verrückt nach Meer''
Cruise ships Ships built in Helsinki 1973 ships {{cruise-ship-stub